To most homeowners, lawn mowing is all about taking the lawn mower and cutting down the grass. According to landscaping contractors, this isn’t the case. For you to give your lawn the perfect look, you need to consider a number of tips. These tips include:

Avoid scalping the lawn

A scalped lawn is one where the grass is cut too short. Some homeowners have the impression that when they cut the grass too low, they will go for a longer time without having to mow it again. This isn’t the case.

You should note that a scalped lawn is vulnerable to diseases and weed infestation. When you cut the lawn too short, you tend to expose the grassroots to the sun which puts it at the risk of drying up.

Experts have also been able to show that when you expose the soil, you allow the weed seed to take root. Grass that is consistently cut too short tends to have a poorly developed root system hence it isn’t as healthy as you would want it to be.

For ideal results, you should be cautious of the size of grass that you leave on your lawn. As a rule of thumb, ensure that it isn’t too tall. You also should ensure that it isn’t too short.

Use sharp lawn mower blades

Did you know you need to have sharp lawn mower blades? Most homeowners don’t know this hence they go for years without sharpening the blades. What is the end result of this? They have dull blade tears that create jagged, uneven edges.

The tears serve as entry channels for pests and diseases.

For you to keep your lawn in top shape you should keep the blades sharp at all times. This calls for you to sharpen them at least a few times during the mowing season.

For you to keep them sharp, avoid mowing over thick branches or stones. For you to ensure that you always have sharp blades ready, consider having an extra blade. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the extra pair is of high quality.

Protect your hearing

The lawn mower is one of the machines that is known to bring about noise-induced hearing loss. For you to protect your hearing, you should wear headphones for mowing, earplugs for mowing, or any other ear protection devices.

When buying these pieces, ensure that they are of high quality. After buying them, remember to take good care of them. You can do this by cleaning the pieces regularly. You also should avoid dropping them hence putting them at the risk of getting damaged.

In addition to protecting your hearing, you also should remember to protect your feet. You can easily do this by wearing steel-toed boots. Just like with the ear protection for lawn mowing, you should ensure that the boots are of high quality. You also should take good care of them.

Remove the grass clippings

After you have mowed, you shouldn’t leave the clippings on the lawn. The best way of going about it is to remove them. You only need to rake the materials and collect them in an attachment bag.

Some people tend to leave the clippings on the lawn as they deem them nutritious but you shouldn’t do this. You should note that you are better off applying manure on the lawn than leaving the clippings there.

Mow in the right pattern

Did you know there are plenty of mowing patterns that you can use? You should choose the one that gives your yard the best look.

Mowing experts advise against mowing in the same direction. This is to avoid compacting the soil and creating ruts. You should note that ruts and compacted soil lead to unhealthy grass. You also tend to have plenty of weeds that thrive in compacted soil.